Novatel Wireless

Voice, data, and a battery backup for those times when ice storms take out your landline: that's the promise Novatel Wireless' MiFi Home is making, also known as the Verizon 4G LTE Broadband Router with Voice. Unwieldy name but the hardware does a fair amount: like a traditional MiFi it'll share a mobile data connection, but plug a regular wired phone in and you can also make voice calls as if it were a landline, too.

Verizon Wireless, along with Novatel Wireless have announced the immediate availability of the 4G LTE Broadband Router with Voice. Similar to older model LTE routers, this one will allow the user to share Verizon LTE connectivity throughout their home. This router, as the name implies, brings the additional voice support. And in this case, Verizon and Novatel are referring to landline voice support.

MiFi creator Novatel Wireless is developing a new home hub, dubbed the "MiFi Tower", not only cutting the cord on traditional voice and data, but integrating smart home functionality as well. The LTE device, already in testing and outlined during the company's recent financial results call, is billed as "MiFi Powered" and blurring the distinction "between fixed line and cellular infrastructure" with home connectivity, digital phone service, and internet access all wrapped up in a portable device that, one day, could enable total migration of voice and data services to IP-based equivalents.

Verizon has updated its mobile hotspot range, adding the Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE MiFi 5510L to its line-up of high-speed mobile data options. The new MiFi, made by Novatel Wireless, will go on sale from Thursday, January 31 through Verizon's online store priced at $19.99 following a $50 mail-in rebate and assuming a new, two-year data plan agreement.

AT&T has revealed its latest mobile hotspot, the MiFi Liberate, the first to include a color touchscreen. Running on AT&T's LTE network, the Novatel Wireless-made gadget has a 2.8-inch multitouch display and can share its 4G data connection with up to ten WiFi-connected devices, while the battery is said to last for up to 11 hours of active use.

Compared to the Jetpack MiFi 4620L mobile hotspot we just reviewed at the beginning of May, this 890L 4G LTE model isn't all that unique. It connects to Verizon's 4G LTE network just as well as the 4620, has a similar lovely little display for you to monitor how many people are connected, your connection strength, and software updates - and you're working with the same data plan costs as well. The 4620L is made by Novatel Wireless while the 890L is made by ZTE - beyond that, what differences are there?

There's little to be said at this point about how powerful Verizon's 4G LTE network really is - we've found no more comprehensive coverage in the country at this point in history - but how well does this newest Verizon Jetpack MiFi 4620L mobile hotspot harness that power? Verizon has several mobile hotspot devices in their store right this second, this being Novatel Wireless' newest look at pushing this LTE network to your many wonderful devices. You'll be getting fabulous data speeds in a tiny package - and this device has a lovely display, as well - but what's the difference when it comes down to it between this and the rest of the hotspots currently available at Verizon?

This week the folks at Novatel Wireless have been allowed to continue a lawsuit against competitors ZTE Corp, ZTE USA, and Franklin Wireless Corp for patent infringement on key architecture and functionality of mobile hotspots. This case has been going on for several months and started more than a year ago, and today's ruling has both of the defendants' requests to dismiss the case shot down by the Judge presiding over the case. This ends up being a sort of preliminary plus for Novatel who could very well have lost quite a bit of money in legal fees if the case had been found void at this point.

Novatel Wireless has announced that it is celebrating a milestone this week. Novatel is celebrating the fact that it has shipped three million of the MiFi portable intelligent hotspots so far. The device was introduced in 2009. It is a small box that allows the 3G or 4G connection it has to be shared among multiple devices using WiFi connectivity.